Stern retains presidency on Lehighton School Board
Larry Stern retained presidency of the Lehighton Area School District board of directors Wednesday night after a narrow 5-4 vote.
Stern, who was nominated by Rita Spinelli, was up against Joy Beers, who was nominated by Richard Beltz.
Before the vote, Director David Bradley spoke out against Stern, who has been president for the past two years, calling his term, “riddled with turmoil.”
“We need to get back to fidelity and honoring the oath of office,” Bradley said. “Joy has experience. She’s run many organizations in the past on a national level.”
Prior to Bradley speaking, resident Dave Krause asked the board for “continued strong and experienced leadership with more emphasis on meeting decorum and civility.”
“Members of the public have been silenced because one board member monopolizes 90 percent of the meeting,” Krause said. “Who can afford to wait for hours to voice their opinions when people have work and families to take care of. And if they have to time to hang around or speak, they are interrupted and attacked.”
Krause urged the board to elect a leader who would “put an end to personal attacks, name calling, and bullying and harassment of staff.”
Beers touted her own leadership credentials in a pitch for the presidency, saying that Bradley has a history of running off at the mouth.
“There are times I don’t think he should talk as much as he does and I would have cut him off,” Beers told fellow board members. “I have worked with diverse groups that had disagreements and have been able to get everyone together through doing research and finding facts and bringing everyone’s interests forward.”
Stern received votes from himself, Wayne Wentz, Spinelli, Stephen Holland and board newcomer Nathan Foeller.
Voting for Beers were herself, Bradley, Beltz and Gail Maholick.
“Thank you for the vote of confidence,” Stern said of the result.
An identical 5-4 vote saw Spinelli get the vice president post over Maholick.
Foeller, by a 6-3 vote, was appointed as the board’s representative on the Carbon Career and Technical Institute joint operating committee over Maholick.
Holland was appointed as the alternate to that committee.
Comments
Good afternoon. What you asked for is completely available to you, transparently, yet you ignore the opportunity to review it. You made a multitude of comments, yet you fail to realize, a simple reality. When it comes to government oversight, the person in the glass house is the best person to entrust a good person's stone. Fear prevents them from casting it.
Give it to Director Bradley, for he will cast it with the accuracy of David the poor shepard boy, and his faith will guide it to vanquish this government's immorality.
The district is in massive debt.
The staff budget went up 9%, this year alone, yet only about 30% over the last decade. The people, with transparency, can remove the corruption and waste.
Did you think Stern broke the Sunshine Act when he called a vote and failed to provide a reasonable opportunity to comment, silencing the community? The meeting transcripts are public, BTW.
Can a director morally fail to protect the students and save the community? Will you sit idle? Or will you, a concerned parent, take actions against a corrupt government that fails to protect students, and save the community.
The stones you provided me by your rants will be cast into emails, seeking more transparency.
For that, I thank you and seek more of your rants. Anyone can make a difference and everyone should try, regardless of their personal skills, talents and personalities. Many people say they avoid meeting because they fear the consequences of speaking their mind. I have no longer have such fear, for, in a meeting I am part of the government we seek to reform. So, send your directors information, questions and rants. Send them to the person most likely to listen. Director Bradley dbradley@lehightongovt.org comes to mind.
Sincerely,
Citizen David F. Bradley Sr.
When it comes to stern and the Sunshine act and what you talked about I don't know enough to make a comment about that but I'm asking you for the information and the story behind the sunshine act accusations so I can make an honest judgment and ask questions if I feel like I need to
I Believe by not backing down to you by trying to hold you accountable for the same things that you're trying to hold the rest of the board accountable for is my duty as a concerned citizen
By not allowing you to make false or misleading motions is my duty as a concerned citizen
But David as much as you say you're Fearless for speaking your mind when somebody doesn't agree with you you disparage them for speaking out you've tried to do that numerous times with numerous people every time you disagree with somebody your cohorts call them a@@holes or bash them on the internet the fact that you have admitted to not having any respect and not wanting to get any respect for the people that you're supposed to work with just makes my point that if you stop with the personal attacks and just do what you want others to do and actually lead the community rather than yell at them you would get a lot more done when it comes down to transparency you should be even more transparent with the information that you say you have then what you say they're not doing
I do love the fact that you said I go on rants but all I'm asking for the same information over and over again
How do you plan on getting rid of the waste you say is affecting our community
Throughout this entire thing mr. Bradley it's been eating at you because you can't stick me in my opinions on the internet for your people 2 attack that's why you continue to make probing little comments trying to figure out who I am and I have told you and I've answered every one of your questions I'm not a part of the administration I'm not related to anybody on the administration I have no connections to anybody or anything I'm just a concerned citizen is trying to get information from a board member that's it
As requested.
https://youtu.be/Ek-f3GRKkfw
And
https://youtu.be/zea-6zfYMzY
And
https://youtu.be/dHl0shJtWYY
Before you rant, also review:
By comparison of the two feasibility study reports we see many required safety items not being repaired for years. The directors need to protect the students and save the community. The oath of office demands the standard of fidelity.
Be sure to share these with Bonnie and Todd.
Sincerely,
Citizen David F. Bradley Sr.
So you have 2 Feasibility reports that say they didnt fix broken things ok post them on your facebook page so all can see
Now have you looked at what kind of safety upgrades come with having a new football stadium with players Turf compared to grass do you know how much savings on the insurance policy the upgrade has saved us do you know how many injuries on the Oldfield the last year compared to the new the new field there is this year because you do understand that every injury that happens on a football field or soccer field or field hockey field or on a track meet goes back through the school's insurance policy
So if the lessening of the insurance policy over a 10-year. And the lessening of injuries that could go through the insurance policy of the school ends up saving us money in the long run don't you think they did the right thing
But again I have a feeling you're going to dodge the question and you're not going to have an answer because you can't think like that you're all about the short-term not the long-term
If I build a new school that means we cut down on teachers and nurses and 30000 heating Bill's for 4 schools
Which saves us money
The driving to 3 schools instead of 6 saves us money on gas and school buses
Having all the schools togther makes it safer for the kids and the people who work here
Being able to get more things into that school for fundraiser goes farther when all the kids are in one building
The quality and consistency of the kids education is better with one school over 4
The football stadium is pretty simple bring extra revune to the school district that isnt based on the people of the school is very important
Having thousands of people show to these football and soccer games and other sports helps fundraising which takes pressure of local bussiness to the sole supporter of the athletes in this town
Safety is very important one injuries on the athletic field cost us money every claim cost the school board money
The insurance policy of a new safe stadium cost us less money
There absolutely nothing wrong with what did they did wait and see how much it saves then make a decsion
But I will bet you wont do that
I bet you cant comprehends what I am saing
Old football stadium insurance policy a 1 million
New football stadium 500000
That saves 500000 dollars
Old stadium 7 home games for football lets call it 3000 between the gate and the food stand 21000
New stadium 12 or 13games 36 or 39000 that's 18000 more
Old stadium 0 money for soccer
New stadium 10 home games let's call 1000for food
Old field for field hockey 0
New field10 games 1000 for food
40000+ revune coming into the coffers of these teams which means less money coming out of the general fund your tax money
The extra games brought on by the outside teams coming for districts alone made us 19000 extra
Which by the way is 19000 more funds that arent coming out of the pockets of the tax break
Now understand my numbers could be wrong in both directions I dont know but I am using numbers that you can actually see and understand
Now the school
30000 is one of the propane Bill's to heat the school let's times that by 4 that's 120000 a year
Now the new school 15000 because it's more efficient then all the other schools 105000 savings
Less teachers at new school saving
Let's resources officers savings
Quality of over all schooling a plus
Well there is the most honest thing you have said you dont care about the kids education you and david only want to cut things to save you money
So you think this is no where town in the middle of no where
I think this is home I think this is where my kids will grow up
The problem is that you and david care about your self and only your self
But that was a really good trying make me look bad but it didn't work
Well my facts and what I am saying is the truth see the point is you were the one that continued to bring up the football stadium so I was trying to prove you're your assumption to be asinine
But if you would like to talk about the teachers and and the schools and other things wanting to bring him up
I'll give you a few more examples you have 20 different teachers in one class in one school making roughly on average probably like $40,000 a year 20 teachers every school 80 teachers they've had retirements they've let people go Dave lower the amount a teacher's administrators and other vital people by going to the new school
Let's talk about the safety in the schools the fact that you had one armed policeman at one school that had to travel between four different oh I'm sorry six different schools now we have more armed officers that can cover more property because they're closer together
Let's talk about how Walmart donated $5,000 to 1 School compared to one getting it and the other one not getting it
Again if you're saving money and making mother and other situations you can afford to pay your teachers better which would make competitiveness within the teachers to make sure they're held to a higher standard because people are going to want to come here to teach
But again you're the one that brought up the football field you can't make me look bad because I know my facts I have a grasp of reality
Not sure how an enlightened board member that has seen the evil from the inside could ever respect those immorally taking actions against this community.
I have my reasons why I can't respect Larry Stern, Wayne Wentz, Andrew Yenser, Steve Holland or Rita Spinelli anymore. However, an apology and/or a resignation and would go a long way towards earning my respect.
And, the more the administration hides and the more immoral actions by government officials the more my opinion is reinforced.
Protect the students - more stories are being exposed everyday showing this district's failures in areas needing improvements.
The public servant board should listen to the people, and implement proper changes
.
Sincerely,
Citizen David F. Bradley Sr.
Last attempt at common sense.
Last word: Transparency
Sincerely,
Citizen David F. Bradley Sr.